In short: Most primary schools here are rated Good or better, about the same as across England. Results at 11 are above England, and results at 16 were close to England in 2026. Attendance is close to the England figure.
Barking and Dagenham at a glance
Ahead of England on results at 11
How Barking and Dagenham's schools compare with England, area by area.
Schools and nurseries14644 primary · 8 secondary · 79 nurseries
Primaries Good or better97%England 96%
Met the standard at 1167%England 62%
Grade 5 in English and maths49%Attainment 8 48.3, England 46.2
Free school meals, primary25%A sign of family income
Missed a lot of school18%England 18%
Top-rated
The highest-rated schools in Barking and Dagenham
Primary and secondary schools are ranked by Eduscope score, which weighs up results, inspections, attendance and more. Nurseries, special and independent schools aren't ranked. A high score isn't everything: always visit.
Apply through the council where you live, even for a school in another council's area. Independent schools take applications directly.
About Barking and Dagenham
Barking and Dagenham is a London borough with 44 mainstream primary schools and 8 mainstream secondary schools. 81.9% got their first-choice secondary school, against 83.6% across England.
Good to know in Barking and Dagenham
The Holiday Activity and Food programme offers free activities for children from Reception to Year 13 who are eligible for benefit-related free school meals. Source
The council's family information directory lists childcare providers that offer early education funding for children from 9 months to 4 years old. Source
The family information directory has a section for finding childcare with school drop off and pick up. Source
Reception applications in Barking and Dagenham are made through the e-admissions online system, and you need an account if you haven't used it before. Source
You must apply for a Reception place even if your child already attends the school's nursery or has a brother or sister there. Source
The council does not process nursery applications; each school handles its own nursery requests. Source
From Barking and Dagenham council's website, checked 7 November 2026. Check the council's pages before you apply.
If a date falls on a weekend or bank holiday, offers go out the next working day.
95.3%got their first-choice primary school in Barking and Dagenham in 2026. England: 92.4%. Ranked 28 of 151 councils. 99.1% got one of their top three.6.6% were offered a primary school in another council. England: 3.6%.
81.9%got their first-choice secondary school in Barking and Dagenham in 2026. England: 83.6%. Ranked 91 of 151 councils. 94.4% got one of their top three.11.7% were offered a secondary school in another council. England: 8.0%.
Source: DfE applications and offers, 2026. A low rate shows high demand, not poor schools.
2 of 71 primary appeals heard in Barking and Dagenham succeeded in 2025. 11 of 74 secondary appeals heard in Barking and Dagenham succeeded in 2025.
Inspections, exam results and attendance, next to the figure for England where we have it.
Numbers that sum up Barking and Dagenham
Barking and DagenhamEngland
Primaries rated Good or Outstanding
Latest Ofsted grade, 36 primaries with one.
97%
England 96%
Close to England
Secondaries rated Good or Outstanding
9 of the 9 with a grade.
100%
England 93%
Above England
Met the expected standard at 11
Reading, writing and maths.
67%
England 62%
Above England
Grade 5 or above in English and maths
At GCSE.
49%
Pupils who miss a lot of school
Missed 1 in 10 days or more. Lower is better.
18%
England 18%
Close to England
Primary pupils on free school meals
A sign of family income, not of school quality.
25%
Ofsted grades
Latest graded inspection for the 49 schools that have one.
98%
Good or Outstanding
Outstanding10
Good38
Requires improvement1
Inadequate0
How it has changed
Barking and Dagenham in blue. There were no tests in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid.
Met the expected standard at 1167% in 2025. England now 62% (dashed line).Grade 5 or above in English and maths49% in 2026.Pupils who miss a lot of school18% in 2025. England now 18% (dashed line).
The figures in full
The latest published year for each measure. Sources and years are on our data sources page.
Measure
Barking and Dagenham
England
Good or Outstanding (Ofsted)
98%
95%
Met the expected standard at 11 (KS2)
67%
62%
Attainment 8
48.3
46.2
Persistent absence
18%
18%
Pupils per teacher
16.7:1
17.9:1
Spending per pupil
£9,421
£8,120
In education or work after 16
93%
91%
Went on to higher education
67%
56%
Pupils with special educational needs
18%
21%
Pupils with English as an additional language
49%
22%
Pupils on free school meals
27%
27%
DfE local authority code 301, ONS code E09000002.
Living here
What it's like for families
Barking and Dagenham has 146 schools and nurseries.
There are 7% more pupils than in 2018.
25% of primary pupils here get free school meals. Schools get extra money for each of them.
Pupil numbers
Pupils in Barking and Dagenham's state schools each January.
42.8k2018
43.4k2019
44.6k2021
44.9k2022
45.5k2023
45.9k2024
46.1k2025
45.9k2026
Up 7% since 2018. More children can mean popular schools fill up faster.
Free school meals
Out of every 10 primary pupils, how many get free school meals. It's a sign of family income, not of school quality.
Barking and Dagenham25%
Keep up with schools in Barking and Dagenham
Follow any school and we'll email you when it gets a new Ofsted report or new results are out. Nothing else.
Barking and Dagenham has 146 schools, including 57 primary schools, 23 secondary schools, 79 nurseries, 5 independent schools, 8 special schools. Some count in more than one group. You can browse each category using the filters on Eduscope.
What are the best schools in Barking and Dagenham?+
The highest-ranked schools in Barking and Dagenham on Eduscope are The St Teresa Catholic Primary School, All Saints Catholic School and Technology College, Riverside School. We rank each state school against schools of the same phase across England on its Ofsted inspection, results and attendance. Independent, special and nursery schools aren't ranked.
What percentage of schools in Barking and Dagenham are rated Good or Outstanding?+
98% of inspected schools in Barking and Dagenham hold a Good or Outstanding Ofsted rating, which is above the England average of 94.8%. This includes 10 schools rated Outstanding and 38 rated Good.
How do primary schools in Barking and Dagenham perform at Key Stage 2?+
Across primary schools in Barking and Dagenham, 67% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths at Key Stage 2. This is based on the latest published results from the Department for Education.
What is the average pupil-teacher ratio in Barking and Dagenham?+
The average pupil-teacher ratio across schools in Barking and Dagenham is 16.7:1. While not a direct measure of class size, this indicates the level of teaching resource available per pupil. Across England it is 17.9:1.
What is the persistent absence rate in Barking and Dagenham schools?+
The persistent absence rate across schools in Barking and Dagenham is 17.9%. A pupil is classed as persistently absent if they miss 10% or more of school sessions. Across England it is 18.1%.
How many pupils attend schools in Barking and Dagenham?+
There are 45,891 pupils enrolled across schools in Barking and Dagenham, with 23,520 in primary and 22,371 in secondary. 26.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals.
How many private schools are in Barking and Dagenham?+
There are 5 independent schools in Barking and Dagenham. Fees vary by school and age group, with day school fees typically ranging from £10,000 to £20,000 per year. You can compare all private schools in Barking and Dagenham on Eduscope, including ISI inspection ratings where available.
How do I choose the right school in Barking and Dagenham?+
Start by considering your child's age, your location, and whether you prefer a state or independent school. Use Eduscope to compare 146 schools in Barking and Dagenham by Ofsted ratings, exam results, and distance. Filter by school type, gender, religious character, and admissions policy to narrow your options.
Sources: DfE school performance tables, DfE school census and workforce, DfE pupil absence, Ofsted. Photos are stand-ins.
